Rye Development and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, through its Flagship Fund CI V, have announced that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a 40-year licence for the Goldendale energy storage project in Washington. Once operational, the closed-loop hydropower pumped storage project (PSP) is designed to store electricity for up to 12 hours and deliver 1,200 MW of on-demand power, with output sufficient to supply electricity equivalent to around 500,000 homes.
The project is planned on private land at the site of the former Columbia Gorge aluminium smelter near Goldendale. The site is also situated within the Tuolumne wind farm and is expected to utilise existing roads and transmission infrastructure. Additionally, the developers have signed an MoU to construct the project under a labour agreement with the Washington State Building & Construction Trades Council and the Columbia Pacific Building & Construction Trades Council.
In July 2025, Rye Development submitted the final licence application to the FERC for the 266 MW Lewis Ridge PSP in southeastern Kentucky. The project, planned on former mine lands, is designed to store electricity for up to eight hours and deliver on-demand power, sufficient to supply around 70,000 homes. The submission initiates a detailed regulatory process, including environmental review, public consultations, hearings, and coordination with state and federal agencies.
